Device for connecting rails



(No Model.)

r0. BENSON.

DEVICE POE GONNBCTING RAILS.

Patented July 4, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER BENSON, OF`DERRICK CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR coixlNlac-i'irvdRAILS.V

sPEcrFIcA'rIolv Vfemme; part er Letters Patent No. 260,446, elated July 4, 1882,.

Application nlea Aprnlglesa. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, OLWER BENSON, a citizen of the Kingdom of Sweden, and resident of Derrick City, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevice for Connecting Rails, of which the following is a i nection, but is more especially intended as a ready means of temporarily repairing broken rails, and thus avoiding` impediment to the traffic, while ample time may be taken for cutting, punching, and preparing new and sound rails to replace them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of my improved device in position to retain in line together the pieces of a broken rail. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line sv :r of Fig. 1, and seen in the direction of the arrow l. Fig. 3 is a perspective exterior view of the outer connectingplate. Fig. 4 is a section, on the line x x of Fig.

l, of a modification of the clamping device; and Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line y y of Fig. 4.

A and B are two rails or pieces. of a rail; a, the rail-stem; a', the inner and a" the outer flange of the base of the rail. C is the inner and D the outer connecting-plate. These are of an gular shape, to t the an gles-between stern and base of the rail, the plate C being formed of two flanges, c and c', fitting respectively against the stem ct and base-liange a', which with the spikes holding the base-flanges of the rail to the sleepers.

On the flanges o d are raised horizontal surfaces b b, on which the horizontal under side of the clamping-jaws rest, as will be presently described. The outer plate, D, is provided on its flange d withslots or holes d", opposite the raised portions I), and its lower flange, d', is provided about midway between the said raised portions with a downward projection, d3, having an inwardly-bent lip, d4, at its lower edge,

Upon either end of a plate, e, having a small ange, e', alongits inner edge, is formed a stationary jaw, F, passing up and around the inner flanges, a and c', of the rail A and plate C, and resting with the under side of its horizontal portion f upon the raised portion b' on the lange c', the gripping end of thejaw consist ing of a vertical wedge-edge, which, when the jaw is tightened, impinges upon the vertical llange c of the plate C, pressing the latter against the stem of the rail and preventing it from lateraldisplacement. The plate e, which has the same width between its ange e (which overlaps the flange c of the plate C) and the outer edge of the rail-base, is thinner and slightly tapered at the said outer edge, as shown at e", and. the aforesaid downward projection d3 of theange d of the plate D passes down around the forward edge of the rail-base of the platee, embracing the latter at e with its inwardly-bent lip d4. In the same vertical plane with the jaws F the ends of the plate e have an enlargement continuous with the jaw and ending with a square projection, Gr. EX-

-tending a distance beyond the outside of the rail-base, and continuous with the said square projection G, is a round and threaded bolt-V projection, g, provided with a strong threaded nut, H.

Upon the square projection G is fitted an ol'- diuary slidingjaw, I, similar to that of a couimon parallel vise, whose inward gripping end, t', is exactly similar and in juxtaposition tothe gripping endfof the jaw F; but, instead of ending with a vertical wedge-edge like the latter, it is provided with ahorzontal wed ge-ed ge, fi', which enters through the hole d" in the vertical flange d of the plate D, and impin ges upon and indents the outer surface of the stem a of the rail, while at the same time theshouider i at the gripping end of the jaw I presses upon the outside of the vertical flange d of the plate D, pressing the latter against the rail-stem. 'lhe under side ofthe gripping end i rests upon the horizontal raised portion d on the ange d', as in' the case of the opposite jaw F.

In connecting the device the nutH and movable jaw I are removed, the plates Gand D are placed in position, and the casting E slid in nnder the rail, as in Fig. 2, bringing the jaw F in gripping position. The sliding jaws I are then applied and tightened up by the nuts H. 'lo prevent the nut from accidentally turning upon the screw g, the latter is indented with horizontal file-marks, as indicated at J in Fig. 5. The nut H is bored through near the edge ofthe thread, as shown at h, so that a small \vire,j, maybe inserted through the hole h and the tiled indentation, thus retaining the nut in position upon the screw until the said wire is withdrawn.

Instead ot' making the jaw I movable, it may be cast in 011e piece with the plate c, leaving out the gripping-projection t', as shown in Fig. 4, in which case the nut H and the screw g may be formed together in one piece and threaded through the upper end of the said stationary piece I, so that the screw g itselfwill form the grippingend ofthe jaw. In this case, however, the indenting-point t" must be round or conical to allow the turning ofthe screw. When this modification is used the wedge-edge of the grippingendfofthe jaw F should run horizontal instead ot' vertical, and to prevent the screw g from uuturnin g, the hole h may be formed in two lugs, K, upon the flange d' of the plate I), and the wire]l inserted, as shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described m y invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In combination with the rails A B and withthe angular plates C I), the latter plate, D, being provided with the perforations d, the clamping device E, consisting ot' the plate c, having stationary jaws F, with indenting gripping-projections fon one sido of the rail, and jaws I, having movable grippingprojections and indenting-points i passing through said perforations d" on the opposite sideot' the latter, substantially as hereinloefore set forth.

2. The clamping device E, consisting ofthe plate e and end jaws, F l, constructed substantially as described, in combination with the rails A B, the angular plate C, and the angular plate l), the latter beingprovided with a downward projection, d3, having an inwardlyturned lip, d4, to embrace the outer edge of the plate c, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the railsA B, plates C D, and clamping device E, having stationary gripping-jaws on one side and movable gripping-points on the other side, the fastening device J, Inaudj for preventing an accidental slaekening of the movable grip, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the rails A B, thc plates C D, constructed substantially as described, the plate c, having stationary jaws F tions G,having other threaded projections, y, the movablejaws I, provided with indentationpoints i', and the tightening-nuts H, all constructed and operated substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of April,

OLIVER BENSON. Witnesses:

B. S. CLARK, A. W. ALMQvIsr.

`ou one side, and provided with square projecl 

